Why April 6th is the most underrated date in the business calendar — and how to use it properly
There’s something quietly brilliant about the start of a new tax year.
It doesn’t have the fanfare of January. Nobody’s posting about it on LinkedIn with a motivational sunrise photo. There’s no “new tax year, new me” energy. But honestly? April 6th is the date I get most excited about as an accountant — because it’s a genuinely clean slate. A real one. Not a January one that you’re already exhausted by.
The sun has finally arrived after what feels like months of rain, the grass is impossibly green and lush, and even Danny — one of the horses who lives here — has been jumping the fence to get to the particularly good patch on the other side. Some of us just can’t resist a fresh start and fresh grass. I’m firmly in the fresh start camp. Danny, apparently, prefers the grass.
And if you run a limited company: you actually get two fresh starts a year. Your company year end — whenever that falls — is your first. April 6th is your second, because that’s when your PAYE resets and the personal tax year begins. Two opportunities to take stock, reset your habits, and make intentional decisions about where your money is going. Two fresh starts. Most business owners only use one. Or neither.
The financial year that just ended? Done. Whatever happened in it — the messy months, the receipts you couldn’t find, the invoice you were too polite to chase, the tax bill that felt bigger than you expected — it’s history now. You can’t change it. But you can decide right now what the next twelve months are going to look like.
And that starts with planting the right seeds.
The Garden Analogy Nobody Asked For (But I’m Giving You Anyway)
I’ll be upfront: I am not a gardener. I have been told, on more than one occasion, that I have what can only be described as a gift for killing houseplants. So take this analogy with the appropriate pinch of salt.
But even I know that a good gardener doesn’t just chuck seeds at the ground and hope for the best. They prepare the soil first. They make sure the conditions are right. They plant at the right time of year, in the right spots, and then they tend to things consistently — a little water here, a little attention there — rather than ignoring everything for six months and then wondering why nothing grew.
Your business finances work exactly the same way.
The businesses I see thriving aren’t necessarily the ones with the most revenue or the most clients. They’re the ones where the foundations are solid. Where the owner actually knows what’s going on with their money. Where there are systems in place that make everything feel manageable rather than overwhelming.
Those systems? They’re the soil. And April is the perfect time to prepare it.
What “Planting the Right Seeds” Actually Looks Like
Here are the five things I’d encourage every business owner to do at the start of a new tax year.
1. Set up (or review) your record-keeping systems
If last year’s tax return involved a shoebox, three different email accounts, and a mild sense of dread — now is the time to fix that. Get a separate business bank account if you haven’t already (Monzo, Starling, and Mettle are all solid options — Mettle’s percentage pots feature is genuinely brilliant for setting money aside automatically). Get your accounting software connected and working. Create a simple, consistent system for receipts.
For limited company directors, this isn’t optional — Companies House requires you to keep proper accounting records. But beyond the legal requirement, good record-keeping is simply what makes everything else easier. It’s the difference between January feeling like a panic and January feeling like a formality.
2. Know your numbers from day one
Don’t wait until October to find out how the year is going. Set a date — the same date every month — to spend 20 minutes reviewing your finances. What came in? What went out? Are you on track? Is there anything that needs attention?
For limited company directors, this means looking at both the company’s position and your personal position — your salary, your dividends, your personal tax savings. They’re connected, and understanding how they interact gives you a much clearer picture of what you’re actually earning.
Twenty minutes a month. That’s all it takes to stay in control rather than constantly catching up.
3. Sort your tax savings from the start
Here’s the seed that pays the biggest dividends: set up a separate account for tax, right now, and commit to putting money aside consistently from everything you earn.
For sole traders, a safe rule of thumb is to aim for 20% of revenue — this should give you a solid buffer for income tax and National Insurance contributions. If that’s not always possible, even getting close means you’re a good way there and far better placed than most.
For limited company directors, it’s a little more layered — you need to think about corporation tax on company profits, and separately save for personal tax on any salary and dividends you take. If that feels complicated, it’s exactly the kind of thing worth talking through with your accountant.
Either way: move the money immediately. Every time something comes in. Before you can spend it. Treat it like it was never yours — because HMRC’s portion of it wasn’t.
4. Set a number for what you want to pay yourself
This is the one most business owners skip, and it’s the one that matters most.
What do you actually want to take home this year? Not “whatever’s left.” Not “I’ll pay myself when things are better.” An actual number. A decision.
For limited company directors, this means thinking about the most tax-efficient way to structure that — typically a combination of salary and dividends — and making sure both the company and your personal tax position are accounted for. But the starting point is the same for everyone: decide what you want. Write it down. Take it seriously.
One of my clients runs a travel business. Paying herself had always been “a non-event” — something that just never quite happened. Between the seasonal income swings, the fluctuating cash flow, and the general chaos of running a growing business, she kept putting herself last.
When we started working together, we sorted her foundations. Gave her visibility over her cash flow. Helped her understand the seasonal patterns in her business so she could plan around them instead of being blindsided by them.
And then she started paying herself. Properly. Consistently.
She recently hit a huge revenue milestone — one that genuinely took her breath away. And when I asked what had changed most, it wasn’t the number she mentioned first. It was the confidence. The fact that she finally knew where she stood.
That started with one decision. One number, written down, taken seriously.
5. Build a simple forecast for the year ahead
You don’t need a 47-tab spreadsheet. You need a rough map.
What months are likely to be busy? What months are quiet? When do big costs land — insurance renewals, tax payments, annual subscriptions? When do you need to make sure you’ve got cash in reserve?
For limited company directors, add your corporation tax payment date to this map — it falls 9 months and 1 day after your company year end, and it can be a significant sum. The earlier you can see it coming, the better placed you are to plan for it.
A simple 12-month overview of expected income and expected outgoings will tell you more about the health of your business than any amount of looking at last month’s bank statement. It shows you what’s coming so you can prepare — rather than react.
The Most Common Mistake I See at This Time of Year
Business owners wait.
They think: “I’ll get organised when things calm down.” Or: “Once I’ve got a few more clients, I’ll invest in proper systems.” Or: “I’ll sort the finances out properly next month.”
Next month becomes next quarter. Next quarter becomes next year. And then suddenly it’s January again and the whole cycle repeats.
The truth is, there is no perfect moment to get organised. There’s only now — and the habits you build now will either serve you or cost you for the rest of the year.
The new tax year is as good a “now” as you’re ever going to get.
You Don’t Have to Figure This Out Alone
If March’s spring clean left you feeling more in control — brilliant. Build on that momentum.
If you’re reading this thinking “I haven’t done any of that yet” — also fine. That’s what April is for.
And if you want a structured, step-by-step way to get your foundations properly sorted, my free Tame the Jungle email course is still open. Seven emails over 21 days, each one tackling a different piece of the puzzle. Practical, jargon-free, and actually useful — whether you’re a sole trader or a limited company director.
Everyone who completes the course gets a complimentary Power Hour with me — a proper working session where we look at your specific business and figure out exactly what needs to happen next.
👉 Sign up at https://go.lednoraccounting.co.uk/tame-the-jungle-landing-page
The new tax year is here. The seeds you plant in April will determine what grows by December.
What are you going to plant?
Amy
Lednor Accounting — The accountant who gives a monkeys!
Ready to build proper financial foundations for the year ahead? Book a free Grooming for Growth call and let’s talk about what your business needs to thrive.